Time perfect for Galway to reinforce hurling’s new order

THE statistics from 19 previous championship meetings between Galway and Kilkenny since 1992 make for grim reading. The Tribesmen have only won three – the 2001 and ’05 All-Ireland semi-finals, and the 2012 Leinster final – of those big summer collisions which serves as a considerable reality check ahead of Sunday’s showdown in Salthill.

Galway may be All-Ireland champions, but their poor modern-day record against the Cats casts something of a shadow over their bid to reinforce hurling’s new order at Pearse Stadium (4pm). Furthermore, Kilkenny will relish the prospect of turning over the title holders on their own turf.

Having used their get out of jail card against Dublin at Parnell Park, Brian Cody’s soldiers had a far more comfortable outing in dismissing Offaly’s challenge last Sunday at Nowlan Park and will head West armed with the knowledge that they have a big hold over their hosts in terms of tradition alone.

But how good are Kilkenny? They endured their worst ever championship campaign under Cody in 2017 and after losing their opening two league matches this spring, it sparked suggestions that a protracted transitional period lay ahead of them. Kilkenny, however, don’t do convention and little more than two months later they were beating Tipperary to actually win the competition.

Though they are no longer graced with the depth of terrific players who backboned the county’s remarkable eight All-Ireland titles between 2005 and ’15, Kilkenny have lost none of their will-to-win or an inherent and savage work-ethic which remains the standard by which all the other major contenders are judged.

Full preview in this week’s Connacht Tribune.